Photographic-printing frame.



Patented Sept. 9, I902.

8. S. JOHNSON. PHUTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRAME.

[Application filed June 25, .1902.)

(N0 Moder.)-

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN S. JOHNSON, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PHOTOGRAPHlC-PRINTING FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,770, datedSeptember 9,1902.

Application filed .Tune 25, 1902. Serial No. 113,171. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN S. JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residin gin South Orange, in the county of Essex, State ofNew Jersey, have invented Improvements in Photographic-Printing Frames,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct a photographic -printingframe that prints may be made of any desired restricted portion of anegative; and this object I attain by constructing the printing-framewith an adjustable mat, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of aprinting-frame provided with or embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is asectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an edge view. Fig. 4is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the mat portions adjusted toother positions than in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view, drawnto a larger scale, of the frame with the mat portions detached.

The actual rabbeted frame may be of substantially the same generalconstruction as the photographic-printing frames now in use and providedwith any usual form of removable back piece. In the drawings I haveshown a well-known form of wooden rectangular printing-frame A withdetachable back piece B to be locked in place by swiveled springs B,engaging lugs 00 on the frame. In connection with such a frame I providea series of opaque matting-sheets O O-four in the presentinstance-corresponding to the four sides of the frame, and I soconstruct the latter as to hold and guide these mattingsheets whilepermitting them to be adjusted laterally across and in close contactwith the negative. For this purpose I form slots D in the side walls ofthe printing-frame, one for each sheet 0, these slots preferably beingin a plane just back of the clear-glass front G. This clear-glass frontmay be employed in printing from either film or plate negatives. In thisway the matting-sheets C will lie immediately over the negative N, Fig.2, so that by adjusting any or all of the sheets 0 inward or outward anydesired portion of the picture can be matted out. In Fig. 1 I haveindicated the mats O projected into the frame through the slotted wallsto such positions as to permit the printing of only asmall portion ofthe negative at the upper left-hand corner, while. in Fig. 4 I haveindicated the mats O as adjusted so that a small portion at the centerof the negative will be printed. In order that they may overlap eachother within the frame, as shown, I prefer to make these opaque sheetsof as thin material as is consistent with the strength needed to adjustthe sheets inward or outward, and I also prefer to make them flexible,so that the portions of the sheet outside the limits of the frame A maybe Wound up on rollers R, turning in bearings r on the margins of theframe. I have found that celluloid is a suitable mate rial for theseopaque sheets. The outer margins of the sheets are fastened to theirrespective rollers in any suitable way, and the rollers are preferablymounted to turn in their bearings r with some frictionthat is, needingforcible pressure of the fingers to turn them. I also prefer to providethe ends of the rollers with flanges f, acting as guides for the marginsof the sheets to keep their front edges parallel with the correspondingedges of the frame.

I claim as my invention 1. A photographic-printing frame provided with aseries of laterally-adjustable mattingsheets overlapping each otherwithin the frame and means for holding and guiding them in close contactwith the negative, substantially as described.

2. A photographic-printing frame having slotted walls andlaterally-adjustable matting-sheets passing through said slotted walls,substantially as described.

3. A photographic-printing frame provided with slotted walls, aclear-glass front, and a series of laterally-adjustable matting-sheetspassing through said slotted walls between the clear-glass front and thenegative, substantially as described.

r. Aphotographic-printingframe provided with a series oflaterally-adjustable mattingsheets of flexible material, overlappingeach other Within the frame and rollers on which the portions of thesheets beyond the edges of the frame can be wound up.

5. A photographic-printin g frame,provided with slotted walls, andadjacent rollers carrying flexible matting-sheets projectinginte the Intestimony whereof I'have signed my frame through the slotted walls. nameto this specification in the presence of 6. Aphotographic-printingframe,provided two subscribing Witnesses. with slotted walls andadjacent rollers carry- STEPHEN S. JOHNSON. .5 ing flexiblematting-sheets projecting into the Witnesses:

frame through the slotted Walls and bearings HUBERT HOWSON,

in which the rollers are frictionally mounted. F. WARREN WRIGHT.

